New API v1.8 Release with Census ACS Updates
We're excited to announce Geocodio API v1.8, featuring the latest 5-year Census ACS data (2023), expanded geographic levels for ACS appends, and additional data tables to help you get even more insights from your geocoded addresses.
Introducing API v1.8 with Fresh Census ACS Data
Today, we're pleased to announce the release of Geocodio API v1.8, which brings you the latest Census American Community Survey (ACS) five-year data and expands the geographic flexibility of our ACS data appends.
What's New in v1.8?
2023 Census ACS Data Now Available
We've updated all of our Census ACS appends to use the most recent five-year survey data, released in 2023 (replacing the previous 2021 data). This means you'll now have access to the most current demographic, economic, family, housing, and social statistics available from the US Census Bureau.
Not ready to work with the newest Census ACS release yet? No worries. API Version before v1.8 will continue to return 2021 data for at least another year.
More Geographic Flexibility
Prior to v1.8, all ACS data was returned at the Census Block Group level. Now, we automatically select the most appropriate geographic level based on the accuracy of your geocoding result:
| Accuracy Type | Census Geography |
|---|---|
| rooftop, range_interpolation, nearest_street, point, nearest_rooftop_match, street_center, intersection | Census Block Group |
| nearest_place, place | Census Place |
| county | County |
| state | State |
You can also explicitly request data for a specific geographic level, such as county, place (roughly equivalent to city), or state, by appending the geography name to your ACS field request. For example:
acs-demographics-tract(for Census Tract level)acs-economics-county(for County level)acs-housing-place(for Census Place level)
Additional ACS Tables
We've expanded our data offerings with new ACS tables:
ACS Economics: Added Table #B19301 (Per Capita Income in the Past 12 Months)
ACS Families: Added Tables #B11003 (Family Type by Presence and Age of Own Children), #B25010 (Average Household Size), and #B09002 (Own Children Under 18 Years by Family Type and Age)
Important Note About Table Title Changes
As part of this update, you'll notice some terminology changes in the acs-families field append. The Census Bureau has updated certain table titles, replacing terms like "wife" or "husband" with "spouse." No other ACS field appends have renamed tables.
Working with Census ACS Data
As a reminder, we've organized ACS results into 5 helpful categories:
Demographics - Population data by age, race, and gender
Economics - Income and employment information
Families - Household composition and relationships
Housing - Housing units, occupancy, and values
Social - Education, veteran status, and more
When planning your project, remember that each category counts as an additional lookup for billing purposes. As a bonus, the basic Census data (including FIPS codes) is included with any acs- field lookups at no additional cost.
Getting Started with v1.8
The update to v1.8 is now live for all Geocodio users. If you're working with Census ACS data, please note that this is a breaking change as 2023 data will now be returned instead of 2021 data.
We're excited to bring you these improvements and would love to hear how you're using the enhanced Census ACS data in your projects. As always, if you have any questions or need assistance, our support team is here to help.
Happy geocoding!
The Geocodio Team